When the two girls were on their way out and headed back towards home, Maya finally let out a little whoop. "What did I tell you Allona?? I told you we'd get it!" she shouted with satisfaction.
"This calls for a celebration! There's a nightclub around the corner. Let's get changed and par-tay."
The women went to their hotel room and changed. Allona put on her leather pants and lacy top, and Maya put on navy blue silky wide pants with a moon and stars print and a sweater set. She looked over at Allona. "Allona, it's not bloody fair. You always always look gorgeous and I always look like Janine Garafalo. It's like we're living 'The Truth about Cats and Dogs.'"
Allona laughed and gave her friend a hug. "I think you're beautiful, Maya."
"Yeah, well, get glasses," groused Maya, but chuckling in spite of herself. "C'mon, first round's on me!"
The two women made their way down and finally into the club. The music was loud, the lights flashy. "Here we go!" Allona smiled as they found the bar. "Now what do I want first? Champagne? Nah..scrap that...maybe later. This woman wants a tequila shot!" she giggled as the two took a seat.
Maya managed to get the bartenders attention and ordered the tequila shot for Allona and a vodka gimlet for herself. A few moments later the drinks appeared in front of them. They held the glasses up in the air. Maya attempted to yell over the music, "To a job well done, and the adventure that lies ahead!" They clinked their glasses and Allona licked the salt from her hand and threw back her shot, following it quickly with a lemon wedge.
AJ and Howie entered the club and looked around from the doorway. "So, do we stay?" Howie asked from behind AJ. AJ took a quick glance around and his eyes landed on the two women from the interview. "Um, I believe it's a yes, but what do you think?" he motioned towards the bar just in time for the two of them to see Allona throw back her shot.
"I think - Yes!" Howie said, steering his friend further inside.
AJ grinned as he looked at Maya. She looked a bit like a wizard from a fairy tale in her billow pants. "Hey! If it isn't Cherry and the Ninja! Hello!"
"Hi." said Allona coughing a bit.
Maya turned slowly. "Mr. McLean, you have your arts confused. I am not a Ninja. I practice Hapkido."
"Hey! Chill out, I'm just making a funny." Maya smiled, but kept the cautious look in her eyes.
"Um, Miss Barefoot, would you like to dance?" asked Howie politely.
"Ummm.... ok, but call me Allona."
"That's a lovely name..." Maya heard Howie say as he led her to the floor. She turned back to her drink.
"Hey, there, Umm... Ma'am, I didn't mean to offend." AJ said, taking the stool next to hers.
"I take my art very seriously." replied Maya, slowly turning her drink.
"Do you take EVERYTHING seriously?"
She cast a slightly amused glace at him. "Pretty much."
"Here." AJ gave her some money. "Get us some bevvies. I'll catch us a table."
"OK." Maya bought the drinks and turned to find AJ. As she walked toward the table a big drunk fratboy thought it would be funny to block her way. "Excuse me." she said.
"What? What did you hear something?" he said stupidly, making his cohorts laugh.
"Please move, you are in my way."
"Do you hear a fly buzzin'?" said the oaf. Maya shrugged, hooked her right foot around his left leg and pushed the bone of her lower leg against the pressure point on his. The dufus immediately fell to the ground, and Maya didn't spill a drop.
"Thank you." said Maya, and she blithely stepped over him, and made her way to the table.
The guy was too embarassed to come after her, fortunately, though she was prepared to deal with him if she had to. She set AJ's drink down and sat across from him.
"Wow." he said. She shrugged, and looked out over the dance floor to see Howie and Allona.
Allona and Howie had managed to see everything that happened with Maya. "Damn. That girl...always showing off," she laughed sweetly. "She needs to loosen up a a bit, way too serious," she shrugged as they danced.
"And you aren't serious?" Howie asked over the din of the music.
"Only when the time and place calls for it," she assured him. "Damn you can dance," she muttered, watching him as they moved close together.
"You aren't so bad yourself," he said, grabbing one of the belt loops on her leather trousers and pulling her closer, their bodies moving together. He saw the bright color in her cheeks. "Not going to faint on me again are you?" he winked playfully.
Allona rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to live that down am I?" she laughed. "But to answer you, no, I'm not going to faint. I may do something else if we get much closer," she added, raising her eyebrows at him. "I'm sure the folks at the Firm have something to say about you guys getting "friendly" with the help?" she mentioned.
"Have you signed anything yet?" he asked quite simply.
"No..."
"Well then, technically you aren't 'the help' yet, so we can dance however I like," he said, sliding against the length of her body.
"Ok...." Allona said, flustered beyond other words.
Maya watched her friend with an amused grin.
"What's so funny?" AJ asked as he saw the smile cross her lips.
"Allona! She's stunning, but blushes at the drop of a hat. It just seems someone like her wouldn't be phased by attention, but she is..." she laughed as she sipped her drink.
"Ah... the sorrows of the beautiful."
"You're...."
"If you were about to say 'you're beautiful', save it, ok?" Maya grinned wryly. "I'm small, I'm fierce, I'm sarcastic. I'm exceptionally competant as a black belt and an outstanding lover, but beautiful I am not."
"Excuse me?" said AJ doing a Jackie Gleason doubletake. "Did you say you're an outstanding lover?"
"I've got skills, and I'm honest." laughed Maya. "What's wrong with that?"
"Not a damn thing, baby! Let's dance."
"Ohhh... noo... I don't think so..."
"C'mon, Rumplestiltskin, let's shake a leg." And AJ pulled her to the dance floor.
As AJ was leading Maya to the dance floor, Allona and Howie were heading towards the table. "Time for another beverage," she smiled. "We were celebrating before you two got here," she giggled.
"We saw," Howie assured her. "Another tequila shot lady?"
"Oh no...hard stuff hits me too fast. How about some bubbly?" she decided.
"Ok...hold that spot and I'll be right back," he told her as he rose and made his way to the bar.
Allona allowed her eyes to follow him. He had on the same outfit she'd seen in photos of them at the Billboard Music awards - red leather pants and the earth-toned sleeveless shirt. She got shivers thinking about what else he could do with that body besides dance, then chastided herself. He was, she remembered, going to be her employer after tomorrow. And chances were The Firm probably didn't want the boys messing around with the employees. She could only imagine the trouble that could cause if things didn't work out. She pushed the thought from her mind and forced a smile when Howie came back to the table.
"Your champagne, mad'am," he bowed playfully as he handed her the flute, sliding in beside her instead of opposite her.
"Thanks," she whispered, forcing herself to push thoughts of his body out of her mind, and she laughed quietly, shaking her head.
"Did I miss something?" he asked curiously, eyes fixed on her.
"Oh no....just thinking....." she trailed off vaguely.
~~~
Maya put her hands on her hips. "I'm not a great dancer."
"It's ok, I am, I'll make up for both of us."
Maya snorted and began to dance. She said she wasn't a good dancer, but with her body awareness, she wan't too bad.
"So.." said AJ as the song ended and a slow song began. "Will I end up on my back if I try to slow dance with you?"
"Who knows?" said Maya laughing, "The night is young! But, if you mean will I throw you, nah. Not yet anyhow."
"Oh, good." AJ pulled her in, enjoying her body, so soft yet hard at the same time. "So how did you get into Hapkido, If I may ask?"
"I was raped."
AJ stopped still in his tracks. Maya chuckled, "Keep dancing,it was a long time ago. I was raped when I was 15 years old..."
"Oh, God..." said AJ, pulling her close, wanting to make it not have happened.
"Well, it made me really really mad. I decided no one would ever do that to me again, so I learned Hapkido, and now if someone tries to rape me I will kill them." she said simply.
The way she said it put a bit of a chill up AJ's spine. "That's... pretty..."
"Cold? Vicious? You've never been raped. There's nothing colder or more vicious than that. BUT... That's an old chapter in my history, and hell, if I hadn't been attacked I wouldn't be here now. I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. I was meant to be a black belt and have my own Dojong and teach rock stars how to defend themselves, and I wouldn't have been in this place if I hadn't been raped."
AJ cringed at the word. "You're very forthright, aren't you?"
Maya shrugged. "Lies are wasteful, as is dancing around the truth."
"Hm... Interesting philosophy. Don't know if I agree."
"Nothing wrong with that." said Maya. "Hey, look over there, there are a bunch of gorgeous women who are dying to dance with you. Why don't you give them and yourself the pleasure?"
"Cause I'm happy dancing with you." said AJ, meaning every word.
Howie saw AJ slow dancing with Maya and figured he'd follow suit. "Come on," he said, not even asking, just taking Allona's hand and pulling her from the booth and towards the dance floor.
Allona was caught off guard and didn't even have time to respond. "But Howie..."
"Shhh," he smiled, pulling her close once they were on the dance floor.
"You are making this awfully hard," she sighed as his arms went around her.
"And what do you think you're doing to me in those leather pants and that lace shirt?" he cocked an eyebrow at her. Just as he thought, the remark caused her cheeks to pinken.
"I'm sorry," she chuckled softly. "I'll wear a burlap sack next time or something," she insisted jokingly.
"Oh no you won't, employer's rule number one," he nodded his head. "And you know you have to listen to whatever the boss says," he told her with a mischievous grin, feeling her rest her head against his shoulder instead of responding to his remark. Howie smiled down at her, then playfully blew into her ear, feeling the shiver go down her spine.
"Stop that! It tickles..." she attemtped to stiffle a laugh.
"Is that all it does?" he asked with a sparkle in his eyes as the song slowly faded out, leaving the two standing on the dance floor.
Allona looked at him for a moment before she answered. "That's a highly loaded question Mr. Dorough," she said with a quiet grin. "Now how about another drink?" she took his hand and pulled him quickly towards the bar. Glancing down she saw AJ and Maya, quite close, at the other end. "my my..." she thought to herself.
"So now what?" Howie asked her, letting his fingers trace hers.
Sighing heavily, Allona made herself behave. "Actually, I should probably be getting back to the hotel. I promised a volunteer group here in town that I'd give them a yoga session in the morning," she sighed, wishing now she hadn't.
Howie glanced over at AJ and could tell by his stance and the look on his face what he was trying to do. "Ok, at least let me walk you back? I don't particularly want to hang around by myself," he chuckled. "Are you and Maya sharing a room?"
"Yep, as always when we travel," she laughed.
"Thank god we each get our own rooms now. AJ snores like a mad man," Howie explained with a shaking motion of his head. He led Allona towards the door, stopping off by AJ and Maya. "Maya, I'm walking your roommate home. You ok with the Bone Daddy here?" he motioned to AJ.
"Oh yes...you worry about my roomie. I can handle myself," she assured Howie. She couldn't believe Allona was turning in this early. She must remember to have a talk with the girl she thought with a quiet laugh as she saw them exit the club.
AJ smiled and said he was having a great time. Maya cocked her head to the side, looking up into his face to judge histone. Was he being serious, or was he humoring her? Sighing, Maya decided she didn't care. This man was so vital, so sexy, what the hell did it matter? Maya was pragmatic about her life. Her self esteem in terms of her art was sky high, but she knew she wasn't beautiful, so she grabbed pleasure where she could. If she hadn't been in that interview or had this job she had no doubt that AJ's eyes wouldn't even have registered her existance. But, here she was, her Ki was bright and so was his... she could feel the compatability like a heartbeat.
"Hey," he said quietly in her ear, "Wanna go fool around?"
"Fool around?" she repeated, dripping with sarcasm, "Fool around? What are you 16? I don't think so. But I'll walk you back to the hotel."
Maya and AJ walked back to the hotel, and Maya walked AJ to his room. "Hey," he said, "I thought the man was supposed to walk the lady back to HER room."
"Not when the lady is a fifth Dan Blackbelt. Sweet dreams, Mr. McLean, I'll see you in the morning. Thank you for the drink."
"OK, Rumple. see ya then."
Maya grinned as she walked to her room. Rumplestiltskin, eh? Well, she'd had worse nicknames. When she got in she found Allona reading in bed.
"Good lord Allona. I don't believe you....you had one hella sexy man fawning over you, and you turn in to read in bed?" Maya fussed.
"Well, you're here too!" her roommate laughed in answer. "I do see you off messing around with wild man," she finished with a smirk.
"Touche'. You got me there. Did you even invite him in when he walked you back?" she asked nosiley.
"No. Too tempting after the thoughts running through my mind at the club,"
she admitted. "He was a perfect gentleman, opening the door and kissing my
hand good night. Good lord that man is going to be a contact temptation when
we start working for them," she sighed as she sat her book to the side and
curled up in the soft sheets. "I really should get some sleep. Next time I
volunteer to teach a session on a business trip and not get paid for
it....slap me. Seriously...." she giggled as the two turned out the lights
and tried to sleep.
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